NBTC working to ensure smooth frequency reallocations
Despite the many challenges facing the reform of the broadcasting industry, the regulator has high hopes of kick-starting the reallocation of radio and television frequencies in three years.
“The upcoming transformation of the broadcasting industry will possibly affect existing operators, but we will try our best to make it fair and transparent for all parties,” Supinya Klangnarong, a member of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, said yesterday.
The NBTC is meeting with all state broadcasting outlets to explain that those holding radio and TV frequencies must declare to the commission the details of their use of the frequencies and their reasons for holding them within 180 days, she said.
The watchdog is working on the details of the law involving the qualifications of state outlets holding radio and TV frequencies, particularly for public service broadcasters, which will account for 20 per cent of both the radio and TV broadcasting segments.
The NBTC is also considering determining the share of commercial and community-based licensees.
The spectrum management master plan makes it mandatory for all state outlets to return their frequencies with expiration dates to the NBTC after the end of the terms for reallocation. This includes frequencies granted by state enterprises to private operators under concessions.
Supinya believes that commercial broadcasting licences should make up about 50-60 per cent of the total and the rest for community services.
The NBTC might run into difficulties taking back some frequencies for reallocation. There are 525 AM and FM radio stations across the country, besides the 6,601 registered community radio stations.
The state units operating radio stations are the Public Relations Department (PRD) with 148 (60 AM and 88 FM), the Army with 127 (78 AM and 49 FM), MCOT with 62 (two AM and 60 FM), the National Police with 44 (seven AM and 37 FM) and the Air Force with 36 (18 AM and 18 FM stations).
The state units running television stations include the PRD with National Broadcasting Television (NBT), the Army with terrestrial TV5 and satellite Thai Global Network (TGN), and the Education Ministry with Education TV. The Army has also granted a concession to Bangkok Entertainment Television to operate terrestrial Channel 7.
MCOT operates its own TV station called Modernine TV and has granted concessions to Bangkok Entertainment Co for free-to-air ThaiTV3 and to TrueVisions for subscription-based TV.
Supinya advised the state media units to be well prepared for the changes coming up in the industry from the future implementation of the broadcasting master plan and spectrum reallocation.
The state agencies must ensure that they have a good human-resource plan with their staff in place for after they transfer their radio bands to the watchdog, she added.
The NBTC will also consider further the details of remedies for those to be affected soon, if required.
